400 THE FAT OF THE LAND 
pleasanter to say $1 from $21, leaves $20, than to 
say $1 from $10.50 leaves $9.50. 
Of course, $1 a head is but a small part of 
what the hog has cost when ready for market, 
but it is all I charge him with directly, for his 
other expenses are carried on the farm accounts. 
The marked increase in income during the past 
four years is wholly due to the advance in the 
price of pork and the increased product of the or- 
chards. The expense account has not varied much. 
The fruit crop is charged with extra labor, 
packages, and transportation, before it is entered, 
and the account shows only net returns. I have 
had to buy new machinery, but this has been 
rather evenly distributed, and doesn’t show promi- 
nently in any year. 
In 1900 I lost my forage barn. It was struck 
by lightning on June 13, and burned to the 
ground. Fortunately, there was no wind, and 
the rain came in such torrents as to keep the 
other buildings safe. I had to scour the country 
over for hay to last a month, and the expense of 
this, together with some addition to the insurance 
money, cost the farm $1000 before the new struc- 
ture was completed. I give below the income 
and the outgo for the last four years : — 
Income EXPENSES To THE Goop 
1899 . « $17,780.00 $15,420.00 $2,360.00 
1900 . « 19,460.00 16,480.00 2,980.00 
1901 - « 21,424.00 15,520.00 5,904.00 
1902 + « 28,365.00 15,673.00 7,692.00 
Making a total to the good of , _—_, $18,936.00 
